Health team is the tops!

Since April 2012, when it was the first social enterprise to take over an NHS hospital unit, Spiral Health’s patient care has saved the NHS millions of pounds.

Patients, many of whom are older people, have recuperated more quickly at its community-based Bispham and Rossall rehabilitation units than they would on an acute hospital ward and 97 per cent have returned home successfully, saving the public purse £2.7m to date.

Spiral Health employs 80 people and cared for nearly 900 patients last year.

It has also taught nearly 500 children to wash their hands properly, thus helping them to avoid catching flu or Norovirus, and run a ‘physiotherapy at home’ programme for patients coming from Blackpool’s Victoria hospital.

Chief executive Tracey Bush said: “We have wonderful staff and volunteers and this award win just confirms what I already knew – that they are the best social enterprise team in the region.”

Liz Tapner, chief executive of SELNET, said, “The judging panel were blown away by the work undertaken by Spiral Health.”